Type Social | Scope National | |
 | ||
Founded April 17, 1893; 123 years ago (1893-04-17)
Lombard College, (Galesburg, Illinois) Vision statement Inspiring women to realize their potential. Motto The Pen is Mightier than the Sword Colors Light Blue Navy Blue
Gold | ||
Alpha Xi Delta (ΑΞΔ or A-"Zee"-D ) is a sorority founded on April 17, 1893 at Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois. Alpha Xi Delta is one of the oldest women's fraternities as well as one of the ten founding fraternities of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC). Alpha Xi Delta has over 160,000 initiated members and maintains active chapters at 126 institutions across the United States. By its Constitution, Alpha Xi Delta is one of the few social sororities that can accept graduate students as well as undergraduates.
Contents
History
In 1893, ten women at Lombard College in Galesburg, Illinois, shared a vision and a dream of a national organization dedicated to the personal growth of women. Their dream became Alpha Xi Delta, one of the oldest women’s fraternities in the United States. It is referred to as a fraternity due to its founding happening before sororities came around
The ten founders of Alpha Xi Delta were:
Cora was the first President of Alpha Xi Delta. She later went on to be the first Grand President.Cora also married a Sigma Nu.
Alice taught music at the Lombard Conservatory. She had two daughters who later joined the Sorority as a legacy. Alice also married a Sigma Nu.
Bertha Cook Evans went on to have three daughters, two who later joined Alpha Xi Delta. Later in Bertha's life, she served as a fraternity house director. She was married to a Sigma Nu.
Harriet and Cora, roommates at Lombard, were the first to make the plan for Alpha Xi Delta. Harriett was also married to a Sigma Nu.
Lucy was the first Vice President of Alpha Xi Delta. After 1893 she transferred schools, where she studied to be a physician.
Lewie is to thank for our symbol the Quill. She designed the quill, which is on display at national headquarters.
Almira was a teacher who went on to pioneer religious education by becoming a minister of the Universalist Church. Almira was also Chaplain of the 12th, 13th, and 14th National Conventions for Alpha Xi Delta.
In her time as an Alpha Xi she served as chaplain, secretary, and president. She is also given credi for many of the Fraternity's early songs.
Alpha Xi Delta's second president. Eliza also married a Sigma Nu.
Julia was a member of the committee who drafted Alpha Xi Delta's first constitution.
The ideals envisioned by Alpha Xi Delta’s founders have remained constant throughout the years, inspiring each member to pursue individual excellence. Now a national sorority with more than 160,000 initiated members, the Sorority is an organization with 128 active college chapters and alumnae associations throughout the United States.
Since Alpha Xi Delta’s founding over 120 years ago, the sorority continues to emphasize the ideals the Founders instilled in the sorority: sisterhood, leadership, knowledge and service to our communities.
Alpha Xi Delta is the only National Panhellenic Conference sorority that uses Xi in its official name.
Their brother fraternity is Sigma Nu.
Symphony
The open creed of Alpha Xi Delta is called The Symphony of Alpha Xi Delta in which it shows the ideals toward which all Alpha Xi's strive. It was written in 1924 by Helen Willis Lynn, Alice Matthews, and Almira Cheney, one of the original founders.
"These things do we earnestly desire:
A clear vision of life, that with gracious and kindly hearts we may share both joy and sorrow, and bring into living reality the sisterhood of women.
An appreciation of real merit and worth, steadfastness of soul, that without bitterness or defeat we may encounter misfortune and with humility meet success.
These things, O Lord, help us to instill within our hearts,
that we may grow in courage, and graciousness, and peace."Symbols
The colors of Alpha Xi Delta are double blue (light and navy) and gold. The fraternity flower is the pink Killarney Rose, as chosen by the Founders to complement the white rose of Sigma Nu fraternity whose brothers helped to found Alpha Xi Delta at Lombard College. The mascot is a teddy bear, the official mascot is named BetXi Bear. Each initiated member wears the golden quill (the official symbol), which is depicted in the Alpha Xi Delta crest and represents the Alpha Xi Delta open motto "The Pen is Mightier than the Sword." Both the pearl and the diamond are the official jewels.
The mission statement of the fraternity is to
[...] enrich the life of every Alpha Xi Delta. We will:
Philanthropy
Alpha Xi Delta's national philanthropy is called Autism Speaks. The new philanthropy was announced on April 2, 2009. Since entering into a national partnership with Autism Speaks in April 2009, Alpha Xi Delta has raised more than $5,000,000 for its philanthropic partner.
Alpha Xi Delta chapters and alumnae associations observe World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and Autism Awareness Month throughout the month of April. Sisters raise awareness in various ways, including passing out blue ribbons, placing advertisements in campus and local newspapers, distributing information in the community and appearing on local television programs to educate people about autism.
Alpha Xi Delta participates in Light It Up Blue, an initiative started by Autism Speaks in 2009 to help "Shine a Light on Autism by Illuminating Prestigious Buildings and Monuments Throughout the World". Alpha Xi Delta members participate by lighting their chapter houses, campus monuments and sports facilities blue during the month of April.
Prior to Autism Speaks, Alpha Xi Delta was the only sorority that did not have an official organization as a philanthropy. "Choose Children" was the policy that gave each chapter direction to choose which organization they wanted to help.
The AmaXIng Challenge
The AmaXIng Challenge is Alpha Xi Delta’s signature fundraising event designed to raise critical funds for Autism Speaks. Each college chapter hosts at least one of the following AmaXIng Challenge events per year: